Govt 'likely' to present FY2026-27 budget on Friday, says minister

The government is ‘likely’ to announce the federal budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the parliament on June 12 (Friday), said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday.

In a post on the social media platform X, the minister shared that summaries for convening budget sessions in the National Assembly and the Senate on June 10 had been sent.

Meanwhile, according to media reports, the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is scheduled to meet tomorrow (Wednesday) after several delays.

The NEC is Pakistan’s highest constitutional forum for economic planning and coordination between the federal and provincial governments.

The federal government has yet to secure the consensus of provincial governments on a proposal to retain around Rs1.1 trillion to Rs1.2 trillion from the provinces’ shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for strategic spending and federal development projects, creating uncertainty over the Federal Budget 2026-27.

This was stated by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam while speaking to the media here on Monday. He further said that the budget process remains incomplete as key fiscal figures have yet to be finalised with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Earlier, the government was expected to announce its federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27 on June 5, as it targets a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4%. However, the presentation was delayed to June 10.

On Tuesday, Business Recorder reported that the government is likely to postpone the presentation of the 2026–27 federal budget from June 10 to June 12, with a final decision on the proposed change expected in a day or two.

Speaking to the media at Parliament House on Monday, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said that several key budget-related matters are yet to be finalised, prompting discussions on revising the budget presentation schedule.

He said discussions were still underway and that limited time, coupled with the approaching month of Muharram, had complicated the process.

“Many aspects of the budget are still being finalised,” he said, adding that no final decision had yet been taken on whether the presentation date would be changed.

The budget comes as Pakistan navigates strict IMF-mandated fiscal curbs and seeks economic stabilisation.